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Ja Morant wants to be left alone. TNT is trying to put on a broadcast. These two elements collided during Saturday's Game 4 battle between the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder, and tension and unintentional hilarity ensued.
When a camera operator fixed their attention on the two-time All-Star point guard, who was inactive and sitting behind the bench due to a hip injury, Morant put his hand up to block their viewpoint, via Fullcourtpass. TNT responded to the gesture by simply using another angle to capture his face.
While there are questions arising from the act, it is hard to deny the humor in seeing the former All-NBA Second-Team selection stick his hand out while another camera gets a wide shot of him.
Ja Morant sitting behind the Grizzlies bench blocking the camera with his hand 😭pic.twitter.com/Azs7XOm3u1
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 26, 2025
Let the speculation begin. People will dissect Morant's unwillingness to be on camera, especially as a turbulent Memphis campaign neared its end in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Though, perhaps he is just frustrated about not being on the floor while the Grizzlies fought to keep their season alive, a valiant effort that ultimately resulted in a series-ending 117-115 home loss.
One can understand why a star player would not want to receive attention while his teammates left everything on the floor against the top-seeded Thunder. But such benefit of the doubt is not always extended to Ja Morant.
The 25-year-old has been suspended twice for displaying a firearm on Instagram and was recently fined for a finger-gun celebration. He is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. The focus will firmly be on the basketball side of things this offseason, though.
Grizzlies have to figure out what's next
Memphis has to decide how it wants to proceed forward with its vision for the franchise. Morant is an undeniable difference-maker when on the court, averaging 22.6 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds through the first six years of his NBA career. But he is frequently unavailable. Injuries limited him to just 59 regular season games over the last two seasons.
Building around an injury-prone cornerstone is distressing. There are no trade rumors at this time, though. Morant and the Grizzlies must regroup after getting swept and build on the positives that came out of the 2024-25 campaign– Jaren Jackson Jr.'s growth and impressive years for Scottie Pippen Jr. and Santi Aldama, among others.
Ja Morant will not have to worry about the TNT cameras for a while, as he and his squad begin a lengthy offseason.
